Democracy Paradox

Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is only partly a book on America. It's also a book of comparative thinking and it's a book of theoretical invention. So, Democracy in America is a theory of democracy. Part of it is about America and part of it is Tocqueville’s theoretical genius pushing through.Olivier ZunzBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Olivier Zunz is the James Madison Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Virginia. He is among the foremost scholars of Alexis de Tocqueville and the author of The Man who Knew Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:44Democracy in America - 2:21Tocqueville as Political Theorist - 15:56Tocqueville the Politician - 22:14Tocqueville's Legacy - 27:17Key LinksThe Man who Knew Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville by Olivier Zunz"Cancel Tocqueville?" by Tarek Masoud in the Journal of DemocracyLearn more about Olivier ZunzDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Ignatieff Warns Against the Politics of EnemiesLarry Diamond on Supporting Democracy in the World and at HomeMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

The state is able to take advantage of the social capital by deploying social actors and in exercising social capital, through the process of persuasion. They'll be putting on pressure on these families, but the pressures being put on them are social pressures. People would often cave into this social pressure. So, there is compliance, but it doesn't feel like state repression.Lynette OngBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Lynette Ong is a professor of political science at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She is the author of the recent book Outsourcing Repression: Everyday State Power in Contemporary China.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:48Thugs for Hire - 2:47Political, Economic, and Social Brokers - 12:52Zero-Covid Protests - 20:34Outsourcing Repression After the Protests - 32:17Key LinksOutsourcing Repression: Everyday State Power in Contemporary China by Lynette Ong"China’s Massive Protests Are the End of a Once-Trusted Governance Model" by Lynette Ong in the Foreign PolicyLearn more about Lynette OngDemocracy Paradox PodcastJessica Pisano on How Zelenskyy Changed UkraineLucan Way on Ukraine. Democracy in Hard Places.More Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

I just want to say that I don't think Zelensky has changed Ukraine. He amplified it. He mirrored what was already there in his time as an actor and comedian. He tried to show the realities and positions of ordinary Ukrainians as they saw them themselves and he then amplifies that and emphasizes that as a Ukrainian.Olga OnuchBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Olga Onuch is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester. Henry E. Hale is a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. They are the authors of a new book called The Zelensky Effect.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:44The Maidan and the Independence Generation - 2:59Zelensky's Origins - 9:19The Zelensky Effect - 23:05The Future of Ukraine - 33:11Key LinksThe Zelensky Effect by Olga Onuch and Henry E. Hale"Why Ukrainians Are Rallying Around Democracy" by Olga Onuch in the Journal of DemocracyLearn more about Olga OnuchDemocracy Paradox PodcastJessica Pisano on How Zelenskyy Changed UkraineLucan Way on Ukraine. Democracy in Hard Places.More Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

But if you think that China can change and that Xi Jinping is not inevitable and Xi Jinping two and three and four and five are not inevitable, then I think that leads you to a slightly different set of policy recommendations. A set that's probably more open to discussion to ensuring that we continue to quote ‘Engage with China.’Elizabeth C. EconomyBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Elizabeth C. Economy is serving as the Senior Advisor for China to the Secretary of Commerce. She is on leave from her role as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Previously she served as the Asia Director at the Council for Foreign Relations. Her past books include The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State and more recently The World According to China. The views expressed in this podcast are her own and do not reflect the official position of the US Government or the Commerce Department.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:43China's Foreign Policy Priorities - 2:57BRI & Chinese Investments - 11:21Indo-Pacific Economic Framework - 22:25Future Issues and Concerns - 28:23Key LinksThe World According to China by Elizabeth C. Economy"Dissent is Not Dead" by Elizabeth C. Economy in the Journal of DemocracyLearn more about Elizabeth C. Economy at the Hoover InstituteDemocracy Paradox PodcastSarah Cook on China’s Expanding Global Media InfluenceAynne Kokas on the Intersection Between Surveillance Capitalism and Chinese Sharp Power (or How Much Does the CCP Already Know About You?)More Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

When people think about social media, they think about the upsides of it. It speaks to what they want in democracy that they're not getting. They feel disconnected, voiceless, and not empowered. So, if there's ways that social media can play a role in empowering people and giving them a voice and holding accountable leaders that they don't think listen to them, those are upsides and that's some of the reasons why you get more positive evaluations of social media than we might think.Richard WikeBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Richard Wike is director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center. He conducts research and writes about international public opinion on a variety of topics, such as America’s global image, the rise of China, democracy, and globalization. His latest report (coauthored with Laura Silver, Janell Fetterolf, Christine Huang, Sarah Austin, Laura Clancy and Sneha Gubbala) is   "Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier."Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:47Role of Survey Research - 2:47Views on Social Media and Democracy - 5:27Differences by Age - 16:35Social Media Engagement - 24:23 Key Links"Social Media Seen as Mostly Good for Democracy Across Many Nations, But U.S. is a Major Outlier" by Richard Wike, Laura Silver, Janell Fetterolf, Christine Huang, Sarah Austin, Laura Clancy and Sneha Gubbala"Liberal Democracy’s Crisis of Confidence" by Richard Wike and Janell Fetterolf in the Journal of DemocracyLearn more about Richard Wike at the Pew Research CenterDemocracy Paradox PodcastAllie Funk of Freedom House Assesses Global Internet FreedomRonald Deibert from Citizen Lab on Cyber Surveillance, Digital Subversion, and Transnational RepressionMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

Sometimes I found people who I was talking to and their coup happened after an elected leader became less democratic. They could very convincingly tell me that their coup was in response to those actions. Then I'd find out that they started plotting the coup years in advance or entertaining it when the situation was very different.Naunihal SinghBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Naunihal Singh is associate professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and the author of Seizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military Coups (2014). He recently wrote the article "The Myth of the Coup Contagion" in the Journal of Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:43Brief History of Coups - 3:11Anti-Coup Norm - 10:33Conditions for a Coup - 18:33Reinforcing the Anti-Coup Norm - 35:53The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government.Key Links"The Myth of the Coup Contagion" by Naunihal Singh in the Journal of DemocracySeizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military Coups by Naunihal SinghLearn more about Naunihal SinghDemocracy Paradox PodcastSteven Levitsky and Lucan Way on the Durable Authoritarianism of Revolutionary RegimesMichael Miller on the Unexpected Paths to DemocratizationMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

It's been exciting and it's been overwhelming. It's exciting to see people are rising, to see the amount of bravery on the streets, how these young women and men will stand up against the armored police with bare hands. It's been inspiring.Mohammad Ali KadivarBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Mohammad Ali Kadivar is an assistant professor of sociology and international studies at Boston College. He is the author of the book Popular Politics and the Path to Durable Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:38Democratization Examples: Egypt and South Africa - 3:20Democratization and Durable Democracy - 11:12Nonviolence and Democratization - 23:33Part 2: The Iranian Protests - 38:49Key LinksPopular Politics and the Path to Durable Democracy by Mohammed Ali Kadivar"Sticks, Stones, and Molotov Cocktails: Unarmed Collective Violence and Democratization " by Mohammed Ali Kadivar and Neil Ketchley in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic WorldLearn more about Mohammed Ali KadivarDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)Mark Beissinger on Urban Civic RevolutionsMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

Democracy is the stage in which we mount the battle for power and we fight out our competing visions of what would be good for a society. But at the same time, the most dangerous of all things we try to do in a democracy is argue about what is democratic and what is undemocratic.Michael IgnatieffBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Michael Ignatieff is a historian and former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He has served as rector and president of Central European University, and is the author, most recently, of On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times. He recently wrote, "The Politics of Enemies" in the Journal of Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroductionWhat is democracy? 3:15Role of Politicians - 18:05January 6th - 21:06The Politics of Enemies - 23:51Consolation After Electoral Losses - 34:55Key Links"The Politics of Enemies" by Michael Ignatieff in the Journal of DemocracyOn Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times by Michael IgnatieffLearn more about Michael IgnatieffDemocracy Paradox PodcastJason Brownlee Believes We Underestimate Democratic ResilienceJeremi Suri on America’s Unfinished Fight for DemocracyMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

There is this idea on the one hand of this mass collective participation, but on the other hand that there's a lot of attention being given to the sort of dignity of each individual contribution. So, I think the experience of voting that is most valuable is when you have these two experiences juxtapose with each otherEmilee Booth ChapmanBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Emilee Booth Chapman is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. Her most recent book is Election Day: How We Vote and What It Means for Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:40Common Perceptions of Elections - 3:17Creative Work of Politics - 15:15Thoughts on Voting Reforms - 29:49A Model of Good Voting - 39:21Key LinksElection Day: How We Vote and What It Means for Democracy by Emilee Booth ChapmanLearn more about Emilee Booth ChapmanDemocracy Paradox PodcastJason Brownlee Believes We Underestimate Democratic ResilienceMiles Rapoport on How We Can Achieve Universal VotingMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show

71% of Americans are concerned about democracy. And apparently that number, roughly 71%, holds for both parties. So, if listeners are concerned about democracy, they can expect that there's someone from the other party who's also concerned about democracy from a different perspective.Jason BrownleeBecome a Patron!Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.Check out the podcast Entitled A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.Jason Brownlee is a professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Along with Kenny Miao, he is the author of "Why Democracies Survive" and "A Quiet Consensus" in the Journal of Democracy.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:41Democratic Decline and Resiliency - 3:40National Income or Wealth and Democracy - 13:49Democratic Backsliding - 21:53More than Minimal Democracy - 32:02Key Links"Why Democracies Survive" by Jason Brownlee and Kenny Miao in the recent Journal of Democracy"A Quiet Consensus" by Jason Brownlee and Kenny Miao in the recent Journal of DemocracyLearn more about Jason BrownleeDemocracy Paradox PodcastMichael Coppedge on Why Democracies Emerge, Why They Decline, and Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)Sarah Repucci from Freedom House with an Update on Freedom in the WorldMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationDemocracy GroupApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracyDemocracy Paradox is part of the Amazon Affiliates Program and earns commissions on items purchased from links to the Amazon website. All links are to recommended books discussed in the podcast or referenced in the blog.Support the show